Gay Times Magazine featured Patrick Grzanka, assistant professor of psychology, in a story about a controversial new counseling bill in Tennessee. Governor Bill Haslam recently signed the bill, which allows mental health counselors to refuse to treat patients based on the therapist’s religious or personal beliefs.

“People see that this is really dangerous and that it sets a horrible precedent for mental health services here in Tennessee and frankly around the country,” Grzanka said.

Earlier in April, Grzanka spoke with the Knoxville News Sentinel about this matter. He was one of fifteen UT faculty members who wrote an open letter to the governor to express their concerns about the bill. His goal was to offer a professional perspective to the governor from people who teach, research and practice psychology.

A possible problem with the bill is that people may be less likely to go to counselors for fear of being judged and “that turns counseling into something that it’s not — discrimination,” he told the newspaper. Read the story online.